HIROSHIMA, Japan—Mazda Motor Corporation announced that production of the all-new Mazda Demio (known overseas as the all-new Mazda2) in Japan reached 100,000 units at the end of January 2008. This milestone was achieved only eight months after domestic production commenced at the end of May 2007.

The all-new Demio was developed to inject a breath of fresh air into the global compact car segment. The vehicle concept was “a personal smart commuter” and development emphasized emerging modern values such as increased concern for environmental and safety issues, and a greater focus on design. The all-new Demio has won eight awards in Japan, including the 2008 RJC Car of the Year. Overseas, the all-new Mazda2 has been selected for 23 awards, including the New Zealand Car of the Year and second place in the 2008 European Car of the Year (as the highest ranked Japanese car). As demonstrated by 31 global awards earned in the seven months since its launch in July 2007, Mazda’s latest compact car already enjoys an excellent reputation among media and customers around the world.

The all-new Demio is around 100 kilograms lighter than the previous model and boasts superb body rigidity through the use of ultra-high tensile steel. These advances help it to achieve top class fuel economy, dynamic driving performance and superior safety protection—all at the same time. In December 2007, the all-new Mazda2 was awarded five stars for adult occupant protection in the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)* crash testing; validation that its collision safety performance is world class.

Against this background, the all-new Demio/Mazda2 is posting strong sales in global markets. In Japan, sales reached 34,389 units in the first six months, which represents a substantial portion of Mazda’s expanding market share in the challenging Japanese market. Mazda’s 2007 calendar year sales in Europe recorded 311,247 units, its highest volume since 1991. Sales of the all-new Mazda2 in Europe made a significant contribution to this achievement, reaching 12,591 units in just four months.

To commemorate the RJC Car of the Year win, Mazda launched the Demio ‘Chiara’ special edition model with a custom body color and exclusive seat covers that give the interior a stylish and individual appearance. As of the end of January 2008, Mazda had received 578 orders for the Demio ‘Chiara’ in its first month of sales.

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Euro NCAP is an independent agency consisting of a consortium of agencies responsible for road safety from countries in the European Union. Euro NCAP vehicle safety reports have been published since 1997.